Professor Oak stepped into Blue’s room, his footsteps quiet but halting when he saw the scene before him.

Red, usually stoic and composed, was clinging to Blue like his life depended on it. Tears streamed down his face as muffled sobs escaped his lips, his whole body trembling. Blue, looking worse for wear with bandages wrapping nearly every inch of him, was awkwardly patting Red on the back. His expression was a mix of amusement and genuine concern.

Oak raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "How did this happen?"

Blue sighed, leaning back against his pillows. "Red’s convinced I’m going to lose an arm and end up with a robotic limb or something."

Oak blinked, his face blank with disbelief. "How did you even figure that out? He doesn’t talk."

Blue shrugged, wincing slightly as the movement tugged at one of his bandages. "I’ve been his friend since we were little. I know these things. The pacing, the crying, the way he points at my arm every five seconds—classic Red panic."

Red sniffled, pulling back slightly to point at Blue’s heavily bandaged arm. His lips quivered as he made a chopping motion, then mimicked a mechanical clicking sound.

Blue rolled his eyes. "See? He’s convinced the doctors are going to turn me into some kind of robot. Which is ridiculous, by the way. It’s just a bad sprain, not an amputation."

Oak pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stifle a chuckle. "Red, my boy, I promise you, Blue isn’t going to lose his arm. Modern medicine has advanced quite a bit since the last time you saw someone with a prosthetic limb."

Red didn’t look convinced. He turned back to Blue, his face crumpling with fresh tears as he clung to him again.

Blue groaned, though there was a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Okay, okay, calm down. If I ever do need a robotic arm, I’ll let you pick out the design. How’s that?"

Red looked up, his teary eyes narrowing suspiciously as if Blue might somehow be serious.

Oak chuckled. "I think you’ve just given him something else to obsess over."

Blue groaned. "Great. Now he’s going to spend the rest of the day Googling ‘cool robotic arms.’"

Red huffed, pulling away entirely to glare at Blue. He jabbed a finger at Blue’s chest as if to say, This isn’t funny.

"Alright, alright, I’m sorry!" Blue said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "I’ll stop joking about it."

Oak shook his head, a fond smile on his face. "You two really are something else. If only I’d known how dramatic the two of you would turn out back when you were kids."

"Hey, I’m not dramatic," Blue shot back. "That’s all him." He gestured to Red, who crossed his arms and scowled.

Oak chuckled. "Whatever you say, Blue. Now, why don’t you both calm down before Red gives himself a migraine and you pop a stitch?"

Blue sighed, slumping back against the pillows. Red, after a moment of hesitation, sat down on the edge of the bed, his face still clouded with worry.

"Seriously, Red, I’m fine," Blue said, his voice softer now. "It’ll take more than this to get rid of me."

Red nodded slowly, his fingers still twitching nervously.

Oak watched the exchange, his heart warmed by their unspoken bond. "You know," he said, smiling as he turned to leave, "for all your bickering, you two really do take care of each other."

Neither of them replied, but the silence spoke volumes.

Blue woke up in the middle of the night to an odd sensation: someone clinging to his side like a lifeline. He blinked groggily, trying to adjust his eyes to the dim light filtering through the room, and froze when he saw Red.

Red was curled up next to him, hugging Blue’s arm as if it were a plush toy. His expression was peaceful, his usual stoicism replaced by the serenity of deep sleep. But that wasn’t the most shocking part.

Red was dressed in what could only be described as a baby outfit. A pale blue onesie complete with a bonnet tied under his chin.

Blue stared, his brain struggling to process the sheer absurdity of the sight. "What... the... heck..." he muttered under his breath, trying not to laugh too loudly and wake Red.

He looked around the room, half-expecting someone to jump out and yell, Gotcha! But it was silent, save for the soft sound of Red’s breathing.

Carefully, Blue tried to wiggle his arm free, but Red’s grip tightened, and he mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep.

"Great," Blue whispered sarcastically. "Trapped by a guy dressed like a toddler. Just what I needed tonight."

Unable to move, Blue resigned himself to his fate and stared at the ceiling. A million questions swirled in his head. Where did Red even get that outfit? Why was he wearing it? Did he sneak in like this?

Finally, he whispered, "You better have a good explanation for this in the morning, Red."

Red stirred slightly, letting out a soft snore, and Blue couldn’t help but smirk. "Guess I’ll deal with it tomorrow," he muttered, closing his eyes.

But as sleep claimed him again, one thought lingered in his mind: Next time, I’m locking my door.

The morning sunlight filtered through the window as Professor Oak gently knocked on the door to Blue’s room. Not hearing any response, he opened it quietly, intending to wake the two boys.

What he saw made him freeze in place.

Red and Blue were on the bed, tangled together in the most chaotic way imaginable. Blue was lying flat on his back, one arm flung over his head and his face scrunched up in irritation even in sleep. Red, still wearing the ridiculous baby outfit from the night before, was sprawled on top of Blue, clutching him like a human pillow.

Oak’s eyebrows shot up. "What on earth…?"

At the sound of his voice, Blue groaned, his eyes fluttering open. It took him a moment to register the weight on his chest, and when he did, his face turned crimson.

"RED!" Blue bellowed, shoving the still-sleeping boy off him. Red landed on the mattress with a soft thud, sitting up groggily and rubbing his eyes.

Oak, struggling to keep a straight face, cleared his throat. "I see you two had an... interesting night."

Blue scrambled to sit up, pointing an accusing finger at Red. "This is NOT what it looks like! He—he climbed into my bed dressed like that!"

Red, now fully awake, looked down at himself and froze. His face turned beet red as he realized he was still in the baby outfit. He glared at Blue and jabbed a finger toward him as if to say, Why didn’t you stop me?

"Why didn’t I stop you?!" Blue yelled, reading his expression. "You were already asleep when I woke up and saw this nightmare!"

Oak chuckled, crossing his arms. "I must say, this isn’t what I expected to walk into this morning."

"Neither did I!" Blue snapped, throwing a pillow at Red. Red dodged it with ease, but his cheeks remained red from embarrassment.

Oak shook his head, his laughter barely contained. "Well, I suppose this is another story for the books. Blue, Red, breakfast is ready. Try to look presentable before you come downstairs."

As Oak left the room, still chuckling, Blue buried his face in his hands. "This is the most humiliating thing that’s ever happened to me."

Red, now out of the onesie and back in his usual clothes, smirked mischievously and shrugged as if to say, Could’ve been worse.

Blue glared at him. "You’re lucky I didn’t throw you out the window last night."

Red simply grinned, and Blue groaned. "I hate you sometimes, you know that?"

But despite his words, there was a small, begrudging smile on his face as they headed downstairs together.